Manufacture of visible index or record strips



June 29,1943.- n. J.'H-OPKIINS 3 mumcwu'an OFQVISIBLE'INDEX 0R. RECORD Swans 7 Original, F11ed-Oct.:27,'1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 29, 1943.

MANUFACTURE OF V ISIBLE' INDEX OR RECORD STRIPS H. J. HOPKINS "2,323,043

Original Filed on. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sinai 12 Patented June 29, 1943 MANUFACTURE OF VISIBLE INDEX OR RECORD STRIPS Harry J. Hopkins, Chicago, Ill., assignor 'to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Chicago, 111.,

tion of Illinois a corpora-,

Original application October '27, 1941; Serial No.

416,652. Divided and this applicationJuly 24, 1942, SerialNo. 452,246 y 1 Claim. 101; 117-4 This application is a division of my copendving application Serial No. 416,652, filed October This invention relates to improvements in a method for making visible index or record strips provided with lines adjacent or at their longitudinal marginal edges distinctively colored from the faces of the strips, and refers specifically to a :method for inscribing such distinctively colored lines simultaneously with the cutting of the strips.

In the use of visible indices or records, such, for example, as described in the issued patent to Frank 'D.. Powell, Patent No. 1,594,112, issued July 27, 1926;difficulty is sometimes encountered iii-conveniently associating indicia which appearsadjacent one end of a strip with the correlated indicia which appears adjacent the opposite end of the strip. When in use, the strips are positioned closeto each otherupon a suitable frame, such as described in the Powell patent ihereinbefore identified, and in view of this fact the lines of demarcation between adjacent strips are not striking and, without the use of an assisting straight-edge, the eye of the operator has difiiculty in traversing the length of a predetermined strip to associate indicia adjacent one end of the strip with the correlated indicia adjacent the opposite end.

, As a result, errors are likely to occur by the inadvertent raising or lowering of the operator's eye, and the indicia at one endof a predetermined stripmay be improperly associated with indicia at the opposite ends of adjacent strips.

. My present invention contemplates the provision of index strips of the class described havlng lines at or adjacent the longitudinal marginal edges of each strip of a color distinct from the color of the face of the strip whereby a guide is provided for the eye of the operator in scanning the length of a strip, and this application is directed to a convenient method for inscribing such guide lines simultaneously with the cutting of the strips.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view of a suitable machine for carrying out my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, parts bein broken away and parts being shown in section, of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to that shown in Fig. 2 of a modification of tilt mdfi hine,

Fig. 41s. a face view of, a plurality of strips having marginal lines in accordance with my invention. I

Fig. v51s a similar view of the strips shown in Fig, 4without such marginal guide lines.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indi- I cates a machinefor cutting strips such as those described in the Powell patent hereinbefore identified. ,Themachine 1 comprises a pair of spaced frames 2-2 which carry a-platform 3 at their upper edges. 9 A structure comprising spaced frame members 4-4 is mounted upon theplatform 3. A shaft 5 is journalled adjacent its opposite ends in the frame members 2, said shaft carrying intermediate the frame membersa bed roll 6 which is keyed to the shaft as indicated at I inFig; 1. A shaft 8 is journalled in the opposite frame members 4 and carries a roll 9 which is keyed to the shaft 8 by means of key 10. x r a The machine I, i described only with regard to its essentials, -A machine for cutting the indexed stripshereinbefore described is fully set forth in the patent to Frank D, Powell Patent No. 1,804,642issued May 12, 1931.

Of. courseit is to: be understood that the machine described in Powell Patent No- 1,804,642 may beemployed or anysui-table strip cutting machine can be utilized in'carrying out my present invention. I I

The roll 9 carries .a. plurality of axially spaced, circumferential knives II, and in employing the machine to cut index strips, the periphery of the bed roll 6 is preferably disposed substantially flush with the platfo'rm'3. In cutting the strips, a sheet l2 fromwhich the strips may be cut is passed between the rolls 6 and 9, and the knives ll function to properly cut the sheet into strips of appropriate width. 1

As" fully described in the Powell-Patent No. 1,594,112, the visible index strips are formed from a sheet of relatively thin wood veneer. A sheet of paper is adhesively united to each face of the wood veneer sheet and in passing the sheet, indicated as sheet 12, between rolls 6 and 9, the rolls are so adjusted with respect to each other that the knives ll cut the upper paper sheet and also the sheet of wood veneer but leave the lower paper sheet intact whereby the sheet of strips may be inserted in a typewriter, for instance, in sheetform, and indicia such as shown at l3 and 14 in Fig. 5 may be inscribed upon the faces of the individual strips. Subsequently, the strips are separated and inserted in the manner described in Powell Patent No. 1,594,112 in a suitable frame.

Fig. 5 indicates the position of a plurality of such strips when held by a frame (not shown). It will be noted that the longitudinal edges of adjacent strips are disposed very close to each other and that a comparatively faint line of demarcation exists between the strips. An operator attempting to utilize: such a visible index system may, for example, wish to ascertain the credit rating of Richard Roe. The eye of the operator in traversing the length of thestrip dedicated to Richard Roe," may raise .or lower during the operation and may inadvertently associate the rating AAAQjbelong-ing to John Doe, with Richard Roe, or there is the darn ger of the operator's eye lowering to the strip dedicated to Frank Smith" and ascribing the rating DD to "Richard Roe. It can readily be appreciated that when a large number of these indicia are presented to the eye of the operator, such errors are very likely to occur.

This possibility of error is attributable primarily to the fact that heretoioreno striking line of demarcation has been provided between adjacent strips since thes-trips are usually all of the same base color and the cutting operation tends to form a fillet along the longitudinal edges of the face of the individual strips, which fillet partakes of the color of the face sheet.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a trough I5 which may be mounted by suitable brackets I6 upon the upper edges of the supporting members 4. The trough I5 is adapted to contain wicking H, or other "absorbent material and the lower portion. of the trough maybe open' as indicated at IS in Fig. 2. The trough I5 is so positioned with respect to the roll 9 that the knives II are wiped by the wicking material "IT. A quantity of ink or other; coloring liquid 'is deposited in the trough l5 and saturates the 'w-ick-' ing l1 whereby a film of coloring material is carried upon the lateral surfaces of the knives ll. In cutting the upperpaper sheetand the veneer comprising the sheet 42, the films of coloring material carried' upon the knives 11 are transferred to the upper? edges f the scored strips. In this manner the dual'operation is performed of cutting the stri-ps and simultaneously coloring those portions of the-strips adjacent their longitudinal edges.

A plurality of' such strips, after the sheet 12 has been properly inscribed and the strips broken, appears in a frame (not shown) as indicated in Fig. 4. It will be noted that in correlating the indicia I-3 with the respective indicia I4, the eye is assisted by the colored lines of demarcation I9 and the possibility of error is accordingly reduced.

If desired the trough I may carry a plurality of partitions 20 as shown in Fig. 3 and absorbent material such as cotton wicking 2|, 22 and 23 may be inserted in the spaces provided between adjacent partitions 20. It will be noted that the knives l I are each brought into contact with a separate mass of wicking. For instance, the first knife ll may be wiped by the wicking 2|, the second knife by the wicking 22, and the third knife by the wicking 23 and so on throughout the length of the roll.

If desired, the wicking contained in, each of the separate compartments may be impregnated or saturated with a distinctive coloring material. For instance, the wicking 2| may be saturated with a red pigment; the wicking 22 with a blue pigment. The wicking 23 may be pigmented red and alternate wickings may be red and blue. Obviously by the provision of separate compartments for the wicking which wipe the individual knives, any desired arrangement colors can be obtained and, hence, these distinctive colors may be transferred to the longitudinal edges 'of the strips.

It is to be understood, of course, thatv the strips may be cut by devices which operate'differently from that shown and described. My invention broadly contemplates, however, the idea of wiping cutting knives for the strips with a coloring material so that a film thereof may be imparted to the longitudinal edges of the strips during the cutting operation.

While I have described and illustrated the concept of my invention as applied specifically to the index strip shown in Patent No. 1,594,112, it is to be understood that my invention in its broad aspects includes all of the conventional index strips now in general use. It is not intended that the invention is limited in anyway to the type of index strips shown in said Patent No. 1,594,112. For example, in one index strip structure now in general use the strips are made of wood veneer faced with paper united to a backing sheet from which the separated strips are peeled or stripped. In another structure in commercial use the strips comprise a core :of relatively inexpensive fiber such as ship board faced with a print-receiving surface. These strips are completely severad and are united by means of two parallel adhesive tapes disposed at right angles to the length of the index strips.

1 claim as my invention:

A method of making flexible visible index strips which comprises cutting a sheet of strip material into individual strips, depositing a film of marking material upon the cutting blades, and transferring said film from said blades to portions of said strips adjacent the lines of severance during the cutting of the strips.

HARRY J. HOPKINS; 

